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Discord Update Failed? – Here’s How To Fix It Under 5 Minutes!

Fix The Discord Update Failed

Discord is software that does not need any introduction. It is a VoIP that was released in May 2015. It features a decent amount of features for communication.

Users communicate each other with voice calls, video calls, and text messaging in “servers,” which are a collection of chat rooms.

Discord is popular among the gaming community as well as anime communities.

The software has over 250million registered uses, with over a 100million people online every month. The software rose to popularity during the COVID pandemic.

Due to the sudden rise in the popularity, many users were often unable to connect with the servers and faced many other issues that prevented them from using the software on their computers or phones.

One of the issues that frustrated players was the “Discord Update Failed” error.

Despite having a strong and fast internet connection, many people often face this error when they tried to update the application.

There are many causes for this issue, like poor internet connection, file corruption during download, the issue with windows, antivirus issue, and many other possible reasons.

In this guide, we will be discussing the popular workarounds to resolve this issue.

How To Fix Discord Update Failed Error

The devs behind Discord are pretty active as they keep rolling out new features once in a while. The software is not that old, considering its release in 2015. There are some reliable workarounds that can fix the update failed error in no time.

We have also included other fixes that you can try to fix the error, which are not as popular but might just do the trick. Without wasting any time, let’s get to the guide.

Related reading: Discord No Route Error – 10+ Working Methods

#1 – Disable Third-Party Antivirus & Windows Defender

Antivirus software or the Windows Defender sometimes blocks files of some programs due to them detecting those files as potential virus threats. Discord needs many permissions to run on the system. The antivirus software can treat them as potential viral threats and can delete the core files.

They can also block the internet access of other software, which does not let them download any updates or even establish a connection to the main server. The solution to this problem lies in disabling these antivirus programs and then trying to update Discord.

You can go to your respective antivirus software’s settings and disable it for some time, after disabling, close and reopen Discord to see if it starts to update or is still unable to update.

How to disable Windows Defender

If you do not have any type of antivirus software installed on your system, you can try to disable Windows Defender. Here is how you can do that:

  1. Press the Start button on the taskbar and select “Settings”.
    the taskbar and select “Settings”.
  2. After opening the “Settings”, find and open “Update & Security”.
    find and open “Update & Security”.
  3. Select “Windows Security” and then select “Virus & threat protection”.
    “Windows Security” and find and open “Update & Security
  4. A new window will appear. From the new window, select “Virus & threat protection” find and select “Manage settings”.
    find and select “Manage settings”.
  5. Now turn off the “Real-time protection” and select Yes from the Windows prompt. Windows Defender will be disabled.
    turn off the “Real-time protection”
  6. Close the windows when done.

#2 – Run Discord As Administrator

This fix is the most popular and has resolved the update failed issues for many users worldwide. This fix might sound insignificant, but running programs with administrator privilege does wonders in many cases, and this problem is no different.

There are many applications with some operations that require administrator privileges to continue running. Discord requires many permissions to run and access the internet on the system. Running the program as an admin might be worth a shot!

If you do not know how to run Discord or any other program as an admin, here is what you need to do:

  1. Go to your desktop and find the Discord shortcut.Image of how to run Discord As Admin
  2. Right-click the shortcut and select “Run as administrator”.
  3. Select “Yes” from the Windows prompt.

Now see if the issue has been resolved on not. Many times this simple workaround will get the job done. If your problem gets fixed with this solution, that is great. If not, there might be other issues that are not letting the app update.

Keep following the workarounds mentioned in the guide until your issue has been resolved.

Recommended reading: How to fix Discord javascript error

#3 – Rename Your Discord Updater

This is a very technical fix that requires the person to find the downloaded update file and rename it to check the issue. Locating the update file is very simple and can be done in a couple of steps.

The update file can be located in two different ways. One way includes the hard way to go to the local app data. Usually, the directory for the local app data is:

Example: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local

Fortunately, with the help of the Windows Run utility, we can open the local app data folder in mere seconds. Here is how you can find the Discord updater via the Windows Run utility:

  1. From your keyboard, press “Win + R” to open the “Run” utility. This can also be done by pressing the Start button on the taskbar and searching for “Run
  2. In the Utility, type the following without quotation: “%localappdata%” and press “OK”.
    quotation localappdata and press OK
  3. This will open a folder that will contain files of other software installed onto your system. From the files, find and open the folder.
  4. After opening the folder, find and rename the “Update.exe” file to anything.
    and rename the “Update.exe” file to
  5. Try updating Discord after renaming the updater.

Related post: We reviewed 18 best Discord bots to help you enhancing your server in 2023

#4 – Disable VPN

If you have any VPN software installed, there is a very high chance that it might be messing with the update. As the server to which the VPN is connected might be refusing to establish a connection with the Discord server. It could be the main root of the issue.

If you are using a VPN via an application, disabling VPN is easy and straightforward. Just opening the software and turn-off the connection will do the job. Or even closing the software from the system tray or from the task manager is enough.

You can also disable VPN via Windows Control Panel settings. If you are not aware of the procedure, here is how you can disable VPN via Windows Control Panel settings:

  1. From the taskbar, search for Control Panel in the Cortana search bar.
    search for Control Panel in the Cortana
  2. After opening Control Panel, find and select “Network and Sharing Center”.
    find and select “Network and Sharing Center
  3. A new window will pop out. From the new window, find and left-click “Change adapter settings”.
    find and left-click “Change adapter settings”
  4. From the new window, a list of adapters and VPN will appear. Select the relative VPN and delete it.
  5. Restart your system if necessary.
  6. Start discord again to check if the issue has been resolved.

#5 – Install The Update To A Different Folder

The next task that we can do to fix the update error is by moving the update folder to a new location. The update folder can be located in two different ways. One way includes the long way, i.e., to go to the local app data folder located in the Users folder.

Usually, the directory for the local app data is:

Example: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local

The local app data folder can also be located in a few seconds by the Windows Run utility. Here is how you can find the folder:

  1. From your keyboard, press “Win + R” to open the “Run” utility. This can also be done by pressing the Start button on the taskbar and searching for “Run
  2. In the Utility, type the following without quotation: “%localappdata%” and press “OK”.
    type the following without quotation
  3. This will open a folder that will contain files of other software installed onto your system. In the local app data folder, right-click and create a new folder. Name it to your choice.
    , right-click and create a new folder. Name
  4. After creating the new folder, find the “Discord” folder in the list of folders.
  5. Right-click the “Discord” and select “Cut” or just press “Ctrl + X” from your keyboard.
    “Discord” and select “Cut” or just press
  6. Open the new folder that you created in step 3. In the new folder, right-click and select “Paste” or press “Ctrl + V” from your keyboard.
    Paste” or press “Ctrl + V” from your
  7. This will move the Discord folder to a new location without changing the original directory of local app data.
  8. Try updating Discord now to check if the issue is resolved or does it still persists.

#6 – Check To See If Discord Is Down

Due to the high amount of concurrent users, Discord servers sometimes get down. It is relatively new software, and due to its developers being active, new features are added to the software every once in a while.

Other reasons include server maintenance. Discord is used more frequently and for longer durations, unlike other software, due to it being a VoIP program that is used by millions of users worldwide.

There is a high chance of issues happening on Discord’s side like maintenance, for instance, due to which the connection is facing issues between your system and Discord. It is hard to tell whether there is a Discord outrage or is it down just for you.

Discord has a website that shows all details of the Discord backend server statuses. It shows issues that are faced by users from around the world. You can use the website to tell if Discord is down or is there any issue with your system.

You can head over to the following website to check the current status of Discord.

https://discordstatus.com/

The website also lists all other incidents that have made the service slow or unresponsive to other users.

You can also use Twitter to check if Discord is down or not. With the help of the #DiscordDown hashtag. While you are on Twitter, you can also follow Discord’s official Twitter account to see if the application is down due to maintenance or some other issues.

#7 – Uninstall & Reinstall Discord

If you have tried every single fix from this guide and the internet but are still unable to update Discord, there is still one last fix that you can try. Use this fix as a last resort only. The last fixes, as the title says, is to uninstall and reinstall Discord again.

One way to remove Discord is from Windows Add or remove program utility. You will need to:

  1. From the Cortana search bar, search for “Add or remove programs”.
    Cortana search bar, search for “Add or remove
  2. A new window will pop out that will contain all of the installed programs on your system. From the list, find and select “Discord.” Press “Uninstall.”
    and select “Discord”. Press “Uninstall
  3. Press “Uninstall” again, and it will remove the program from your system.
  4. Open your browser and type “www.discord.com” from the main page. Press the “Download” button to download the latest setup of Discord.
    Download” button to download the latest setup
  5. After the download completes, open the setup and follow on-screen instructions to install Discord again on your system.
  6. After installation, check if Discord is opening on your system.

This should resolve the update issue if every other workaround failed. If not, then the Discord servers must be down or facing an issue worldwide.

My Final Verdict:

Discord is a great VoIP application released for Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. It is by far the best application for VoIP communications and has more than 250 million users worldwide.

The developers behind the applications are very active, and they keep adding new stuff to the app. Which sometimes causes issues for some people. The app does not display any errors or issues quite often. When it does, there is one issue that is nothing but a nightmare to a person who uses Discord quite often.

The prominent issue is the Discord failed to update. It can be caused by many reasons. Most of the time, it can be fixed by running the application as an administrator. Sometimes the issue still remains despite running it as an admin.

Many popular workarounds can resolve this issue in no time. If all of them fail, there is always a fix as a last resort. The last resort is none other than uninstalling and reinstalling the application on the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: How do I fix the Discord update failure?

There are many reasons which can cause the Discord update failed issue. Many popular workarounds can resolve this issue.

Out of these fixes, the most popular is running Discord as an administrator or by renaming the Discord updater, which is located in the local app data folder.

Question 2: How do I fix the discord update failed Mac?

If you are using Discord on a Mac and facing the update failed issue, the most popular workaround is by restarting your Mac system.

If you still face the issue, try uninstalling and reinstalling Discord on your system. You can also try restarting the updater couple of times to see if the issue is resolved or not.

Question 3: How to fix the discord update failed loop?

The simplest solution to this issue is by running Discord as an administrator. For that, head over to your desktop and find the Discord app icon.

Right-click the icon and select “Run as administrator”. This fix has resolved the update failed loop issue for many users around the world.

Question 4:

Unfortunately, Discord does not have an option that will stop the application from updating automatically. In the future, however, the developers might add a feature for opt-out of auto-updating new app versions.

The application was released not so long ago and is relatively new. The devs are also quite active. The application gets updated quite often due to the new number of features being added to the app.

For more info regarding other Discord problems, I am covering all types of Discord guides here.

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Bobby Segura

Bobby Segura

A gaming enthusiast who enjoys everything from the Vagrant Story to Assassin’s Creed. His interest in gaming soon transformed into passion, and he started working as an author of NeoGamr. I keep an eye on all the latest gaming trends and cover them asap.

My expertise is in Software and Application, Internet Research, Console Gaming, Video Games and Gaming, and Gaming & Games.

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